The Price of Honor
by Thesseli
Summary: Under normal circumstances, he would have leapt at the chance to give the Discovery to the Klingons. But these were not normal circumstances. Takes place during the episode "Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad". [Sequel to 'Remain Klingon'.]


"Harry Mudd is here. And in a few minutes, he's gonna take over this ship. He wants to sell it to the Klingons. He's already trapped us in a time loop," Burnham declared.

The man currently known as Lt. Ash Tyler couldn't believe what he was hearing. Harry Mudd? On this ship? It was impossible. How could he have escaped from L'rell's vessel?

"Harry Mudd?" he repeated incredulously. "Wait, is this Vulcan humor?"

Burnham shook her head. "I wish it were."

Tyler frowned. He was starting to feel out of his depth. A time loop? Mudd wanting to sell the ship to the Klingons? Neither of those things made sense. But Burnham sounded like she was certain of both. "Why didn't Stamets come to me himself?" Stamets, who'd injected himself with alien DNA to alter himself genetically, in what was probably a direct violation of the laws established on Earth following the Eugenics Wars. What had he been thinking? Didn't the engineer have any knowledge of his own people's history?

"He tried. In previous loops," Burnham explained. "But he felt like you'd have an easier time trusting me."

Tyler tried not to let his disbelief show; his expressions were far too readable now. "And why is that?"

"Because I like you."

He was surprised, and he didn't know what to say. "Oh."

Burnham looked somewhat unsure of herself then. "And he thinks you like me too."

This was an ever bigger surprise…just what had been showing on the human face he now wore? Certainly not what Stamets thought was there. That would be ridiculous. His only interest in Burnham was in bringing her to justice for the death of T'Kuvma…although perhaps there was a bit of grudging respect for her willingness to fire first, while she was still the first officer of the Shenzhou.

Tyler's mind raced. He'd only recently come aboard the Discovery, and – as the humans would say – he was still finding his feet. Under normal circumstances, he would have leapt at the chance to give the Discovery to the Klingons. But these were not normal circumstances, and the current leaders of his people were not deserving of this gift. His betrayer was now in control of the High Council; there was no way Tyler would ever let a ship of such immense power fall into Kol's hands.

Besides, if anyone were to deliver this ship to the Klingon Empire, it would not be this human criminal, a coward and a traitor to his own people. No, he himself would take this ship to the Empire, to regain his honor, so he could someday enter Sto-vo-kor. But if he were to die here and now, due to the actions of Harry Mudd, his final journey would be to Gre'thor, and he would never be able to regain his honor again.

Not that he could enter Sto-vo-kor looking as he did now, even if he did die an honorable death.

It was said that infection with the stabilized Augment virus was not enough keep a Klingon out of Sto-vo-kor…but the use of an engineered version of that virus to merge the genetic material of one particular human with his own DNA certainly would. Such deceit was not the Klingon way, and he knew it. It was only L'rell's insistence that this could win the war and save their people that had made him agree to the procedure.

There was no honor in deception. But there was even less in defeating an enemy with help from a traitor from that enemy's own ranks.

That decided him. Harry Mudd was dishonorable, even for a human. And there was no way he, Voq, was going to let his people triumph over the Federation in this manner. He was fighting to save the soul of the Klingon people, and that soul would be lost forever if they accepted aid from someone as unscrupulous as Harcourt Fenton Mudd.

So for now, against all odds, he would help Burnham and Stamets, and fight to keep the Discovery out of Klingon hands.

"This night's gotten weird," he pronounced, slipping easily back into Tyler's persona. "But also very interesting." He smiled slightly; he had to admit he was grateful that his people wouldn't be damned by any dealings with Harry Mudd, and that he still had the chance to regain his honor. Then he shrugged. What the hell; getting closer to members of the crew would only make his infiltration mission easier. "If time really is repeating, this won't matter."

Tyler leaned down then, and pressed a firm but gentle kiss to Burnham's lips.


End file.
